How vivid was your imagination as you were growing up? Were you easily influenced by the things you saw on TV? Did you ever imagine how you would react to impossible situations? Ruby Sparks is the name of a character who was created by award winning writer Calvin Weir-Fields (Paul Dano). He’s written so much details about her, he feels like he knows her intimately, he feels like he has created the perfect woman. He has the shock of his life though when that character suddenly appears in his house.
Ruby Sparks (Zoe Kazan (Paul Dano’s actual girlfriend)) is an innocent young woman acting like she has known Calvin for a long time. As Calvin has been going to psychiatrist for a while he now believes he has completely lost it, but when others appear to see her as well he’s even more shocked. How is it all possible? It really doesn’t matter. She’s there and it’s up to Calvin to deal with the situation. He has created the perfect woman and with that come expectations. He has the power to change her with his typewriter (which results in some very funny situations), but quickly find out that living with someone day in and out into someone you find out isn’t that perfect at all.
Zoe Kazan (who has also written the screenplay) plays her role perfectly, having to show a woman who acts based on what someone else writes and showing a great range of emotions. Because her and Paul Dano are a real life couple the romance part of the movie is convincing. This is the second movie I remember seeing Paul Dano in (the other one was opposite of De Niro) and I’m quickly becoming a fan of his work.
I hadn’t heard too much of this movie in advance, but was impressed by what I saw. It’s a light hearted romantic comedy, but not the kind you might immediately think of when you hear about a romcom. It’s an original movie which keeps you guessing as you watch it and it makes you wish you, for a moment, had such a vivid imagination to write about something and make it become real. So here’s to a 2 day workweek with the same pay!
Glad you enjoyed this Nostra! I actually reviewed this a while back as I was fortunate to be a the screening with the filmmakers and cast, including Paul and Zoe. I didn’t know they were dating but Paul actually mentioned that during the Q&A. I was impressed with Zoe’s performance and her writing, but Paul was excellent in the way he conveyed writer’s block.
Wow, that must have been cool to watch it like that! Yeah, Zoe was very good and I don’t think I’ve seen her in anything before.
It was pretty cool and I almost couldn’t get in as the theater was full so my friend and I were the last two! I haven’t seen Zoe in anything either. Btw, did you know she’s Elia Kazan’s grand-daughter?
No I didn’t know that, then again I have no idea who Elia Kazan is 🙂
Oohhhh, I am so watching this, sounds wonderful! And my imagination was (and still is) second to none – I created a whole alternate world for me and my brother in the woods around our house when we were kids.
Then this should be a movie you probably enjoy. Sounds like you lived in an awesome place being able to do that 🙂
My parents own 4 or 5 acres and it’s all wooded. I spent so much time in the woods, I tried to convince my parents to let me go live in a tree. They said no though… 😉
I can imagine, would be an awesome playground. Probably a good thing you didn’t live in a tree 😉
It was pretty amazing. We had a huge pond with an island that we built a bridge to and a creek. Super fun way to grow up. 🙂 And looking back now, yes, best I didn’t live in a tree but man was I pissed about that as a child. 😉
I love this film! Zoe Kazan’s screenplay is so creative and I really liked how it gradually became darker throughout. Great review.
Yeah, I liked that too, it first seemed almost like a fairytale which slowly mixed with reality 🙂
It starts off light-hearted enough, but then heads towards some pretty dark territory (a good thing in my books). I really loved the movie right until the last 5 minutes.
Seriously, that ending almost destroyed the movie for me!
Yeah, I liked that too. Didn’t have any issues with the ending myself..
Without spoiling it for anyone, the last few minutes felt like a cop-out in that it felt so typically Hollywood in a not-typically-Hollywood-movie. A slight change and it would have been less Hollywood and still good.
I thought that’s what you meant and I can understand why you would feel that way. It didn’t bother me…
I was really disappointed I didn’t get to catch this at the cinema. Must make the effort when it’s on Blu-ray, sounds excellent!
Yeah, nice little movie worth seeing.
I’ve read mixed reviews about this one. I’ve put it in my “rental” category.
As for Paul Dano he was good in “Little Miss Sunshine” and great in “There Will Be Blood”
Sometimes you don’t notice specific actors in older movies and didn’t know he was in There Will Be Blood 🙂
I’m just not a Paul Dano fan and I haven’t been able to make myself watch this. Perhaps in time. Good review as always.
Since he’s starring it would be pretty difficult to like it then I guess…thanks for the compliment!
Great review! This does sound like something I’d enjoy. As a kid, I was one of those people who often found fictional characters more “real” than real ones. 🙂 I’m not sure I ever totally outgrew it.
Thanks, I hope you will enjoy it. Well, sometimes not losing some things from your childhood is a good thing!
I’m with you on this one. He is a burned out early success so how can he top it? By writing the perfect girlfriend then freaking out when reality sets in. Zoe Kazan has a screenwriter future for sure.
Nice to hear 🙂 Looking forward to other work from her!
I loved the idea of the movie, I just think they should have done more with the concept, the script mostly played out pretty much how I expected, I wanted a few more surprises. There were only a couple of scenes that really stood out for me, when they just met. I agree about the acting and chemistry, which worked well.
Great film! Glad you liked it.
Thank you anonymous reader!